Internal-combustion engine



Sept. 25 1923. 1,468,819

C. H. KNUDSEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 0 In v awvem toz 7 Carl hf Knudsen 9513 his Gamma a 2 Sheets-Sheet -2 C. H. KNUDSEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July l,

M gvwemtoz Z5 Carl Knudsen 351 his flay/ma a,

Patented Sept. 25, 1923. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL H. KNUDSEN, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGNOR TO THE KNUDSEN MOTOR CORPORATION, or WI M'INGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application flledJ'uly 1, 1922. Serial NO. 572,265.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. KNUDSEN, a citizen of the United States, and residin at Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings an State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the follow-. ing is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which is appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to what are known as oil engines usingfuel oil under pressure discharged into the combustion chambers of the cylinders, and the object of the invention is to provide an engine of this class of the two-cycle inverted V- gpe ers comprising pairs of converging cylin having a commoncylinder head with a combustion chamber therein, one of the cylinders in each pair being provided with intake ports or passages and the other with exhaust ports or passages, and the pistons in the separate pairs of cylinders being operated one slightly in advance of the other, whereby the ex aust ports are opened in advance of the intake orts and are closed in advance of the said intake ports; a further object of the invention is to provide an engine of the class specified with improved means for introducing scaveng-' ing and chargin air into the separate pairs of cylinders on or pressure and for passing part of the scaven 'ng and charging air through the head en portions of the pistons in the separate pairs of cylinders for cooling said vpistons and for preheating the air prior to its charge into said cylinders; a further object of the invention is to provide improved means for gearin the crank shafts of the engine with t e power or driven shaft, whereby the revolutions of the crank shafts may be reduced to the drive shaft to produce the maximum driving power on the driven shaft; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in an engine of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, eflicient in use and which is constructed and operated as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are It will be understood that my improved engine may be made up in any number of pairs of cylinders, but in the accompanying drawing, I have shown for the purpose of illustrating my invention, a longltudinal section through one pair of cylinders and transverse sections t rough two pairs of cylinders, and in the drawing, I have shown at 10 the crank case of the engine which is provided with crank shaft bearings 11 in the opposite side portions thereof and in which crank shafts 12 and 13 are mounted, and centrally of the crank case is a-main bearing 14 for a power or driven shaft 15. The

crank shafts 12 and 13 are provided at. one end with fly wheels 16, or if desired the crank shafts 12 and 13 may be connected by gears 17 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawing, in whichevent the shaft 15 is eliminated, this construction being used in stationary power units of this class. Q

Secured to the crank shafts 12 and .13 between the separate and 19, as shown in ig. 40f the drawing, are two pairs of gears 20 and 21 which mesh with a pair of larger gears 22 secured to the shaft 15. In other words, the shaft 15 is driven by the crank shafts 12 and 13 through the gears 20, 21 and 22, and it will be noted that the teeth of the separate pairs of gears, or the gearsin each pair are arranged at diflerent angles, wherebythese gears will operate to take up longitudinal stress or strain on the shaft 15.

The separate pairs of cylinders 18 and 19 are of the same general construction, and in Fig. 1 of the drawing I have shown a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one pair of cylinders, and these cylinders are mounted in "connection with the crank cases by substantial rods 23 which support airs of cylinders 18 the separate pairs of cylinders, or the intake cylinder 24 and exhaust cylinder 25 combustion chamber the head 26 is provided with a fuel injecting valve 28 through which oil under pressure is adapted to be sprayed into the combustion chamber in the operation of the engine.

The cylinders 24 and 25 as well as the cylinder head 26 are provided with the usual Water-jackets" formed between thecylinders proper and the jackets thereof, and the cylinder 24 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged intake ports 29, and in approximately the same horizontal alinement the cylinder 25 is provided with circumferentially arranged. exhaust ports 30. It will be noted on a consideration of Fig. 3 of the drawing that the arrangement of the intake ports 29 in the cylinder 24 is such as to form comparatively wide spaces 31 between said ports at four different points circumferentially of the cylinder and similar spaces 32 are formed by the arrangement of the ports 30 in the cylinder 25.

The ports 29 open into a. comparatively large chamber 33 formed between the cylinder 24 proper and the jacket or casing 24 thereof and a port 34 in the casing 24 communicates with the chamber 33 and opens outwardly through said casing and into an air supply pipe or manifold 35. A chamber 36 similar to the chamber 33 is formed between the cylinder 25 proper and the casing 25 thereof and with which the ports 30 communicate, and the casing 25 is provided with an exhaust port 37 which opens outwardly into an exhaust pipe or manifold 38.

The cylinders 24 and 25 are each provided at a predetermined distance below the ports 29 and 30 and in common vertical alinement with the spaces 31 and 32 with two sets of ports 39 and 40, the ports 39 opening outwardly into the chambers 41 formed between the cylinders 24-25 and their casings 24-25, and these chambers are placed in communication with air supply pipes or manifolds 42 at the opposite sides of the engine through intake ports 43. A chamber 44 similar to the chambers 41 is formed be tween the cylinders 24 and 25 and their casings 24 and 25 and with which the ports 40 communicate, and the chamber 44 is placed in communication with the chamber 33 of the cylinder 24 through a vertical passage 45 formed between the casing. 24 and 25 where they abut, and by ports 46 which communicate with the passage 45 and with the chamber 33, as clearly shown in Fi s. 1 and 3 of the drawing.

ounted in the cylinders 24 and 25 are pistons 47 both of which are of the same general form and construction and which are placed in operative connection with the crank shafts 12 and 13 respectively by connecting rods 48 in the usual manner, and the pistons 47 are provided in their head ends with closed chambers 49 forni'edby transverse partition walls 50 at a predetermined distance from the heads of the pistons, and

the pistons are provided withtwo sets of ports or passages 51 and 52 which open outwardly therethrough and which communicate with the chamber 49 of said pistons, and said chambers are divided by apertured partition walls 53, and the ports 51 and 52 of the pistons are in the same vertical alinement with the ports 39 and 40in the cylinders 24 and 25 and are adapted; to register therewith. It will also be apparent that these ports operate upon the faces 31- and 32 of the cylinders or, in other words, will a not cooperate with the ports 29 and 30 of said cylinders.

In practice air under pressure is supplied to the pipes or manifolds 35 and 42 respectively from any suitable mechanism-such as a compressor or scavenger pump and, if desired, the pressure in thepipe or manifold 35 may be greater or less than that in the pipes or manifolds 42 and oil under pressure 'from a suitable pump is discharged through the valve or spray device 28 from any suitable mechanism at predetermined intervals, or when the pistons 47 are adjacent to the upper ends of the cylinders at approximately the end of the compression stroke. i

The operation of my improved engine will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the followin statement. .In Fig. 1 of the drawing, have shown the pistons 47 in the separate cylinders in the position assumed thereby when the exhaust ports are fully open and the intake ports partially open, while in Fig. 2 I have shown the exhaust ports fully closed and the intake ports parto allow for the exhaust of the products of combustion after which the intake ports 29 are opened and air is passed into the cylinder 24, combustion chamber 27 and cylinder 25 and out through the ports 30 to thoroughly clean out the cylinders and combustion chamber. The scavenging air is admitted into the cylinder 24 through the pipes or manifolds 35 and 42, the charge through the pipe or manifold 35v being direct while the charge through the pipes or manifolds 42 passes first into the chambers 43 in each cylinder structure into the piston in each cylinder through the ports 51 and thus into the chambers 49 in the head ends of said pistons over the partition walls 53 in said chambers and out through the ports 52 of the pistons into the chamber 44, through the passa e 45 and ports 46 and thus into the cham er 33, and the cylinder -24 through the ports 29."

The passage of the air under pressure through the chambers 49 in the pistons will operate to cool the head end portions of the pistons and also preheat the air passed therethrough, and this air is also introduced into the separate cylinders above the pistons therein and into the combustion chamber.

On the upward or compression stroke of the pistons the exhaust ports 30 are first closed and a charge of air under pressure is admitted through the ports 29 which are still open as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and this air is then compressed in the combustion chamber 27 to ignite the oil spray which is timely introduced thereinto.

It will be understood that the ports-51 and 52 of the piston register with the ports 39' and 40 in the separate cylinders when the intake ports 29 of the c linder 24-are opened, and these ports are c osed when the ports 29 are closed. It will also be apparent that an engine constructed in the manner herein shown and described may be manufactured at a nominal expense and may be made considerably lighter than similar engines of its class, and by reason of the thorough scavenging action and charging of the cylinders, as herein set out and the method of controlling the intake and exhaust ports as well as the arrangement of the cylinders, the maximum powermay be developed, and while I have shown certain details of construction for carrying my invention into efi'ect, it will be understood that I am not necessarily limited to these details, and various changes therein and modifications thereof may be made, within the scope of the appended claims without departin my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An engine'of the class described comprising cylinders arranged in pairs, one cylinder of each pair being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports,

from the spirit of cylinder of each pair being provided with I intake "ports and the'other with exhaust ports, pistons in said cylinders adapted to control said ports, and means independent of the cylinders and pistons for passing air under pressure through the separate pistons and into said cylinders through said intake ports and for discharging the same through said exhaust ports.

3. An engine of the class described comprising cylinders arranged'in pairs, one cyllnderof each pair being provided with 1ntake ports and the other with exhaust ports, pistons in said cylinders adapted to control said ports, means for passing air under pressure through the separate pistons and into said cylinders through said intake ports, and means inde ndentof said first named means for supp ying air under pressure to said cylindersthrough said intake ports. v

4. An engine of the class described comprising cylinders arranged in pairs, one cylinder of each pair being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust posts,

pistons in said cylinders adapted to control said ports, means for passing air under pressure through the. separate pistons and into said cylinders through said intake ports, and means independent of said first named means for supplying air under pressure to said cylinders through said intake ports, said pistons being operated one in advance of the other whereby said exhaust ports are opened and closed in advance of the intake ports.

5. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders aving closed chambers at their head endportions and adapted to control intake ports in one cylinder and exhaust ports in the other cylinder, and means for passing scavenging and charging air under and the scavenging and charging air preheated.

6. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control intake ports in one cylinder and exhaust ports in the other cylinder, means for passing scavenging an charging air under pressure through the head end portions of the pistons and into said cylinders through said intake ports whereby said pistons are said cooledand the scavenging and charging air preheated, means independent of said last named means for supplying additio nal scavenging and charging air to the cylinders throu said/intake ports or passages.

7. 11 engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adaptedto control intake ports in one cylinder and exhaust ports in the other cylinder, means for passing scavenging and charging air under pressure through the head end portions of the pistons and into said' cylinders through said intake ports whereby said pistons are cooled and the scavenging and charging air preheated, means independent of said last named means for supplyingscavenging and charging air to the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, and said cylinders being provided with a common combustion chamber through which the scavenging and charging air is adapted to pass.

8. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control intake ports in one cylinder'and exhaust ports in the other cylinder,-means for passing scavenging and charging air under pressure through the head end portions of the pistons and into said cylinders through said intake ports whereby said pistons are cooled and the scavenging and charging air preheated, means independent of said last named means for supplying scavenging and charging air to the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, said cylinders being provided with a common combustion chamber through which the scavenging and charging air is adapted to pass, and a high pressure oil discharge valve communicating centrally with said combustion chamber.

9. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers in the heads thereof, and means for passing air under pressure into and through the chambers of istons and into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages.

10. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being rovided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing air under pressure into and through the chambers of said pistons and into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, and means independent of said last named means for supplying air under pressure to said cylinders through said intake ports or passages.

11. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders' being provided with intake ports and .the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chamber between said pistons, and meansfor passing the air from said last named chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages. I

12. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chamber between said pistons, means for passing the air from said last named chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, and means on one of said cylinders for passing another charge of air into saidcylinders through said intake ports or passages.

13. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust'ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports,-said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chamber between said pistons, means for passing the air from said last named chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, and means on one of said cylinders for assing another charge of air into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, said cylinders being rovided with a common combustion cham er.

14. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of aylinders, one of said cylinders being provi ed with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into-a common chamber between said pistons, means for passing the air from said lastnamed chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, means on one of said cylinders for passing another charge of air into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, said cylinders being provided with a common combustion chamber, and a solid fuel injecting valve communicating with said combustion chamber.

15. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chamber between said pistons, means for passing the air from said last named chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports orpassages, means on one of said cylinders for passing another charge of air into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, said cylinders being provided with a-common combustion chamber, a solid fuel injecting valve communicating with said combustion chamber, and independent crank shafts for operating said pistons.

16. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of c linders, one of said cylinders being provi ed with intake ports and the other with exhanst ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons n said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chamber between said pistons, means for passing the air from said last named chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, means on one of said cylinders for passing another charge of air into said cylinders through said' intake ports or passages, said cylinders being provided with a common combustion chamber, a "solid fuel injecting valve communicating with said combustion chamber, independent crank shafts for operating said pistons, one in advance of the other whereby the exhaust ports are opened and closed in advance of the intake ports.

17. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being} provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure into and through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chaminders through said intake ports or passages,

said cylinders being provided with a common combustion chamber, a solid fuel injecting valve communicating with said combustion chamber, independent crank shafts for operating said pistons, one in advance of the other whereby the exhaust ports are opened and closed in advance of the intake ports,-and a driven shaft mounted between said crank shafts and geared in connection therewith. p

18. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided with intake ports and the other with exhaust ports arranged circumferentially of said cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and adapted to control said intake and exhaust ports, said pistons being provided with closed chambers, means for passing independent charges of air under pressure intoand through the chambers of the separate pistons into a common chamber between said pistons, means for passing the air from said last named chamber into the cylinders through said intake ports or passages, means on one of said cylinders for passin another charge of air into said cylin ders tiirough said intake ports or passages, said cylinders being provided with a common combustion chamber, a solid fuel injecting valve communicating with said combustion chamber, independent crank shafts for operating said pistons, one in advance of the other whereby the exhaust ports are opened and closed in advance of the intake ports, a driven shaft mounted between said crank shafts andv geared in connection therewith b reduction caring.

19. n engine 0 the class described com: prising a pair of cylinders having a common combustion chamber, one of said cylinders being provided with circumferentially arranged intake ports and the other of said cylinders with correspondingly arranged exhaust ports, each'of said cylinders being provided below said first named ports with ports or passages, pistons in said c linders for contro ling said intake and ex aust ports and being provided with ports or passages adapted to register with said last named cylinder ports or passages, and means for supplying air under pressure to the last named ports or passages of the cylinder and into and through the pistons through the ports or passages therein and into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages.

20. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders having a common combustion chamber, one of said cylinders being provided with circumferentially ar ranged intake ports and the other of said cylinderswith correspondingly arranged exhaust ports, each of said cylinders being provided'below said first named ports with ports or passages, pistons in said cylinders for controlling said intake and exhaust ports and being provided with ports or passages adapted to register with said last named cylinder ports or passages, means for supplying air under pressure to the last named ports or passages of the cylinder and into and through the pistons through the ports or passages therein and into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, and means for confining the air passed through said pistons to a predetermined area thereof.

21. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders having a common combustion chamber, one of said cylinders being provided with circumferentially arranged intake ports and the other of said cylinders with correspondingly arranged exhaust ports, each of said cylinders being provided below said first named ports with ports or passages, pistons in said cylinders for controlling said intake and exhaust ports and being provided with ports or passages adapted to register with said last named cylinder ports or passages, means forsupplying air under-pressure to the last named ports or passages of the cylinders and into and through the pistons through the ports or passages therein and into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, and means for supplying another charge of air to the cylinders through said intake ports or passages.

22. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of ylinders having a common combustion chamber, one of said cylinders being provided with ci'rcumferentially arranged intake ports and the other of said cylinders with correspondingly arranged exhaustorts, each of said cylinders being provided below said last named ports with ports or passages, pistons in said cylinders for controlling said intake and exhaust ports and being provided with ports or passages adapted to register with said last named cylinder ports or passages, means for supplying air under-pressure to the last named ports orpassages of the c linders and into and through the pistonst rough the ports or passages therein and into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, means for confining the alrpasse :through said pistons to ,a predetermined area thereof, means for supplying another charge of air to the cylinders through said intake orts or passages, and independent crank for said pistons whereby said istons are operated one in advance of the ot er to open aft-s and close theexhaust the intake ports.

23. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders having a common combustion chamber, one of said cylinders being provided with circumferentially arranged intake ports and the other of said cylinders with correspondingly arranged exhaust ports, each of said cylinders being provided below said last named ports with ports or passages, pistons in said cylinders for controlling said intake and exhaust ports and being provided with ports or passages adapted to registerwith said last named cylinder ports or passages, means for supplying air under pressure to the last named ports or passages of the cylinders and into and through -;the pistons through the ports or passages therein and into said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, means for confining the air passed through said pistons to a predetermined area thereof, means for supplying another charge of air ports in advance of to the cylinders through said intake ports I or passages, independent crank shafts for said pistons whereby said pistons are operated one in advance of the other to open and close the. exhaust ports in advance of the intake ports, and a power shaft between said crank shafts.

24. An engine of the class described comprising a pair of cylinders having a common combustion chamber, one of said cylinders being rovided with circumferenti-ally arrange intake ports and the other of said cylinders with correspondingly arranged exhaust ports, each of said-cylinders being provided below said last named orts with ports or passages, pistons in sai cylinders for controlling said intake and eX- haust ports and being provided with ports or passages ada ted to-register with said last named cylin er ports or passages, means for su plying air under pressure to the last name ports or passages of the cylinders and into and through the pistons through the ports or-passages therein and into'said cylinders through said intake ports or passages, means for confining the air passed through said pistons to a predetermined area thereof, means for supplying another charge of air tothe cylinders through said intake ports or passages, independent crank shafts for said pistons whereby said pistons are operated one inadvance of the other to open and close the exhaust ports in advance (if-the intake ports, a powershaft between said crank shafts, and; reduction gears for gearing the crank shafts to said power shafts.

25. a An engine as claimedtin claim 24, including a crank case and a plurality of rods for coupling said cylinders with the crank case and for spacing the, cylinders therefrom.

26. An engine as claimed in claim 24, including a crank case, the cylinders being mounted in spaced relation with the crank case and supported by rods.

27. An internal combustion engine including a plurality of converging cylinders, a common head for both cylinders provided with a combustion chamber communicating with the interior of both cylinders, air ports arranged in one of said cylinders and exhaust ports arranged in the other cylinder, ported pistons arranged in said cylinders and having closed chambers, the tops of which form the heads of the pistons, and means for passing compressed air through the ports and closed chambers of the pistons and into said air ports.

28. An engine as claimed in claim 27 in which the lastmentioned means includes pipes arranged at opposite sides of said cylinders and adapted to introduce compressed air through the ports of the cylinders and into the closed chambers of the latter, a chamber arranged between said cylinders and adapted to receive the air leaving the chambers of the pistons, and a passageway connecting the chamber between the cylinders to said air ports.

29. In an internal combustion engine having a pair of cylinders, means for charging the cylinders with heated compressed air,

and means for subsequently introducing unheated compressed air into said cylinders.

30. An internal combustion engine including a pair of cylinders having intake and exhaust ports. pistons in said cylinders controlling said ports, means including the pistons for introducing heated compressed air into the cylinders through said intake ports, and means for subsequently introducing unheated compressed air into said cylinders through said intake ports.

31. In an engine of the class described, a cylinder structure comprising a pair of cylinders, one of said cylinders being provided with c-ircumferentially arranged intake and auxiliary ports, the other of said cylinders being provided with circumferentially arranged exhaust ports and correspondingly arranged auxiliary ports, chambers encircling the intake and exhaust ports, chambers associated with said auxiliary ports, and means placing the chambers of the auxiliary ports in communication with the chamber of the intake ports.

32. An engine as claimed in claim 31 including an intake pipe communicating with the chamber of the intake ports.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 30th day of June, 1922.

CARL H. KNUDSEN} 

